Carpathia Unleashed!!

With a couple of hours to kill and another gorgeous evening I had to grab Carpathia and head towards Fareham, just 15 minutes drive I have access to 9 great stalking waters all within a stone's throw of each other. Spoilt for choice, yet, sometimes that can prove to be an issue. My recent run of fish from Funtley almost saw me head there, but being a Saturday night I swerved it due to it more than likely being busy.

Instead I headed for Sultan, hardly fished and with recent sightings and captures. I could be in my element with the weed and, hopefully, the place to myself. I arrived soon after tea, had a quick batter with Mark and began my search for something old, dark and chunky. The moat was looking unbelievably pretty, all overgrown and very carpy.

I spotted a couple of carp along the 30s stretch but they were moving through with pace, obviously needing to get somewhere and certainly not on the lookout for grub. Along the 20s stretch I spotted a fish acting oddly, swimming high in the water angled upwards, it was most peculiar. After a few minutes I continued on my jaunt and completed the tour of the moat without seeing any more carp. I left the 40s alone as there was a match on till 7.

I opted for a gentle crawl along the far wall, just to see if anything was lurking tight to the far bank cover. One fish spooked off as I got there, but it was a good sign. Further along past the pads a found a small common amongst some bream, but after a few minutes it appeared to lose interest in the bread I was feeding it and left the scene.

I sat on the bank a little further along, flicked a few mixers into a gap between some pads and some bushes and prayed a group of decent carp off to the right would venture my way and find them before the ducks and swans did. As they drew closer I realised there were 2 small commons and a bigger mirror. As they reached the spot they started troughing, sucking in the free offerings with gusto. I swung out my double mixer hook-bait and got the line caught on a branch!!

With the fish still clooping below me I threw some more free baits in and set about untangling the line. Next cast got caught on the brambles below me, I was having no luck. I managed to keep the fish there regardless of my inability to get a hook-bait in the water, I finally did just that. Up came a pair of lips and over went Carpathia, we were in.

Conscious of the pads and snags close by I applied a little more pressure than usual, and was stunned when the beautiful mirror splashed around on a tight line and flipped straight into the net. It was over in seconds, man and rod working as one. I couldn't believe it was actually the mirror, and after all the false starts. It was the dark, old, chunk I hoped for, ever so dark.

Next up I visited the 20s bank, flicked out some mixers and sat once more. Out to the left I saw the odd mirror coming my way. As it approached it tipped upwards and began feeding. Intrigued I flicked my hook-bait out which was soon scoffed and a strange but still feisty battle took place. One of, if not the oddest carp I've caught. I'm told its been that way for a couple of years, so is obviously none the worst for its oddities.

I returned to where I caught the dark mirror but all was clear. I crept along a little further and deposited some mixers near a spot I've caught from in the past. I retreated and sat on my hands. Sure enough a few minutes later swirls appeared under the baits as carp began to schlurp mixers off the surface. It was past 9pm by now and getting dusky, but I could still make out the hook-bait and when it was taken.

Another short intense fight took place and I was equally stunned to find yet another drop dead gorgeous dark mirror in the bottom of my net. I took a quick self take and left for home absolutely buzzing. Carpathia had really shown her true colours as a versatile all round carp tamer. I simply cannot wait to flex her muscles again.

Another Gift...

After last week's success with the 2 commons, yet failing to land either of the 2 mirrors I hooked, I couldn't wait to get back and settle the score. Today I finished work at midday and pointed the car bonnet at Sultan. 

I never had long to fish, but after a short time looking around the usual spots I stumbled across a group of mirrors. I was actually trying to get some photographs of them, but when they started rolling over each other and almost beaching themselves to get to some bread I'd deposited, I quickly swapped the camera for the rod. 

A piece of bread was squeezed onto my size 4 hook and cast out amongst the fish. I held my breath, hoping the fish wouldn't spook off, and although one or two drifted off, a couple remained. The hook-bait wafted through the water and landed on the bottom quite slowly. I watched where the line entered the water for a minute or so, then wound it in to find it had gone soggy and fallen off. The carp had disappeared by now, but soon after my next cast I saw them out of the corner of my eye coming towards me from the left. 


 

A Gift from the Gods...

I woke to rain, increasingly heavy rain, it didn’t bode well. I had planned go stalking after lunch, opting to fish the later part of the day as the mornings were still a touch chilly. As luck had it, the rain subsided and the sky cleared nicely by 11, and by midday the sun shone as I left the house and headed towards the moat. 

It looked lovely when I got there, no other anglers were in sight and the gently ripped water reflected a million shards of sunlight. Among the sparkling margins I hoped the carp would be on the move, I crept around, all over and saw very little. I regrouped, had some lunch and began looking again. It was surprising what an hour can do, the spots I’d baited had fish on, fish that looked every bit the classic long lean fish I’d come to associate with the moat. 

Easter Weekend

Forgive me if this seems a little rushed, I'm dead tired...


I decided to be brave this weekend, it is April after all. I'd been to the moat twice during the week to deposit some sweetcorn onto the spots I'd ultimately be fishing. Peg 27 is one of my favourites, tucked away in the corner, just the way I like them. The problem lies with the fact that the swim isn't big enough to spend the night in.....well, for most maybe. 


I tipped up around 2:30 on Saturday afternoon and carries my scaled down gear to the swim. There was a match on one section, but it was far enough away for me not to see or hear a soul. I set up camp, which consisted of chair under a brolly. With the rods fishing either margin I settled back and made some tea. 


Teatime came and so did the bream, they were relentless shaking their heads violently from side to side all the way in. Some had to be pushing 8lbs too. Just on dark I made a cast with the left hand rod which took off before I could put it in the rests, it was a lovely dark tench of around 3lbs.

Back on the Moat

With a strong desire to hold one particular fish, the one I have a photo of on my phone and regularly stare at, it was time to begin my season on the moat. I’d be enjoying some peaceful summer days there targeting the tench and crucians, but a longing to get amongst the carp was also high on my list, with one especially beautiful old and dark mirror being the pick of the bunch. I was under no illusions though, my days of mounting a serious campaign on a target fish are behind me, well at least whilst I have fledglings.  Some lovely fish had come out to those who had put the time in. Very few anglers target the carp there, but with some constant trickling of bait into certain areas, sport has been enjoyed through the winter by a hardy handful. My own campaign started in a very similar way, visiting during my lunch break for a look, then to start introducing a little bait onto spots I'd had success in the past. With a final look and bait up on Friday, the plan was to fish Saturday night into Sunday, this being only my second ever night on this moat.

A Perfect Common...

Sunday, a day of rest, a day to spend with the family, that’s what Sunday means to me these days, so when Corrinna asked if I wanted to go fishing this Sunday afternoon I was shocked, but pleasantly shocked. Of course I had a good look through the TV guide first just in case I was missing anything important, but as nothing caught my eye I reached for the rod and left the house around midday.

I headed for the moat, it was a warm sunny day and throughout the journey I pictured those carp cruising amid shoals of bream looking for a crust to shlurp down. The beauty of the moat is the quietness of the place, there were only one or two anglers there going about their business, which left 99% of the place available for me to roam, wander and stalk.

The surface was black with bream in places, I swear you could walk across them, the birds were singing, jays flew from one side to another, woodpeckers hammered away at loose bark and, although I didn’t spot one, I could hear the distinct shrill of a kingfisher on more than one occasion. I was a beautiful day to be beside a beautiful place. The fishing was just something to do whilst visiting, to help while away the hours and, if I got lucky, well that would just be a bonus.

I noticed in the corner near peg 28 that there were a few carp swimming parallel with the drop off into the pads and back out again, a patrol route. The rest of the moat was fairly quiet where the carp were concerned, I half expected them to be cruising but for whatever reason they were concentrated in this corner, so I looked no further.

A few pieces of crust were thrown as near to the pads as I could get them and I tucked into my pork pie whilst waiting for them to be eaten. A few carp approached but somehow seemed reluctant to feed from the top. I did spot, however, one piece I squeezed too tightly that drifted to the bottom, and as it was fairly shallow and clear, I could see where it sat. The next carp to cruise through upended straight away and chomped the bread.

With two rods set up, a Sharpe’s split cane stalking rod and a Mark IV, I free-lined two crusts a metre apart and sat back some more to enjoy the fabulous afternoon and see if anything else fancied a stopping by. Over the course of the next hour I watched three groups of carp come through, mainly commons but with a sprinkling of stocky mirrors. It was the commons I was really after, weathered, dark warriors, not massive but very beautiful. As luck had it, it was a group of four commons and one mirror that took interest in my bait and the mirror that actually picked slipped up.

I picked up the Mark IV and set the hook, the fish charged off to my left and under a marginal tree causing a few uneasy moments, but within a few seconds it swung out into open water away from danger and did the rest of its fighting away from obstacles. Once in the net I peered in to find a plump mirror of around fifteen pounds, carried her up the bank onto the mat and took a quick self-take before returning her a little further down the bank. Not the common I was hoping for but still a nice fish to meet and share such a nice afternoon with.



Once returned the area went quiet so I upped sticks and began wandering again. A little further down, between two large sets of pads, I spotted three commons enjoying the sunshine. They were cruising from one set of pads to the other snapping at leaves on the surface. With the dangers either side of me I opted for the stiffer Scottie rod with a Mitchell 300 spooled with 12lb line. I attached a crust, flicked it out to the edge of the pads and crouched down out of sight.

The first fish to show an interest was another chunky mirror, but I managed to pull the hook from its mouth without setting the hook. A few minutes later and what looked like a milk chocolate carp sucked in the crust, but this time I did make contact, a huge spray of foam and water erupted as the fish turned and headed for the sanctuary of the pads but with the stout tackle I was using I managed to avoid peril. Slowly, with the fish circling around in front of me I slip the net under and lifted. I peered into the net and fell in love right away.

It was the most beautiful common I’ve caught in a long while. Far from the biggest, but it had everything, the dark tones, the long lean shape, everything about it just oozed class. I laid her on the mat, told her how beautiful she was and after a self-take or two reluctantly slipped her into the crystal clear water.



It was the fish I came for, it was the fish I always hope to cradle, I was happy and didn’t really need to fish on. It was approaching 6pm anyway and Corrinna would be made up if I returned in time to help putting Jessica to bed, so off I went with a smile from ear to ear with everyone happy.

The Moat in Pictures...

Since I've not fished this weekend and won't be until well into next week, I thought I'd have a walk around the moat at lunchtime on this glorious day and try to capture its beauty on camera. Quite pleased with the outcome, and feel very privelidged to be able to fish here...

A PB Tench and an Old Friend...

A lot of preparation and leg work had gone into this session, so as well as hoping I had as great time beside one of my favourite pieces of water, I also hoped I got lucky. The first moat carp of the season was going to be a special fish, all I had to do was trick it somehow. I arrived at around 1pm, walked the banks to see if anyone else was angling and to check whether or not there was any activity over my spots...the answers were no, and no.

The dilemma I had was the choice of swims, they were all free, the toughest decision of them all. All the swims were tight, especially for a night session with extra kit, barring a handful of larger gravelled swims which aren't in the area I prefer. The swim I thought I had the best chance in was particularly tight.

I began to set up camp in the stalking swim (28) but soon realised that spending the night in there would be impossible, so I opted to make camp two swims down and just around the corner (27). I could stalk my original swim until late, spend the night in the larger pitch and then get back to stalking at first light. With all of my kit loaded into the night pitch I set up a rod and crept quietly into 28, lowered my hook-bait into position with a handful of free offerings over the top and sat back to see what materialised.

Half an hour went by until I saw the first sign, a carp flashed its flank at me then fed very close to my own bank, within inches from the swim board, I was fishing too far out. I The tail was catching the main line but its head was pointing in the wrong direction. When the fish moved off towards the snags I lifted the float out and repositioned it scattering a few more morsels around the quill and sat back to await the carp's returning.

Return they did, a number of times they visited and each time they did the float danced but failed to go under. It was stating to get warm by now, almost 3pm and as the clouds dispersed the sun shone brightly, but the stiff breeze remained. I fed the swim once more and retreated to camp for some late lunch, a cuppa and to rest the swim a while. I returned to the stalking swim just after 3:30 and this time fished close to the swim board with ledgered luncheon meat and watched the slack line for any movement.



It was almost 4pm when the line tightened and the Mark IV tip looped round, I picked up the rod, set the hook with one hand clutching the spool and tightened the drag as the fish tried to swim around the snag tree. Powerfully the fish swam to my right and as it did so the line became caught up with some low lying branches. I played the fish with as much pressure as I dare and finally the fish and the line came free.

The fish charged around in open water for a while and then switched it’s efforts to the deep margins, boring round and round. Eventually the fish tore enough for me to guide it over the net, at long last, my first moat carp of the season was a portly mirror carp with a dark back and a pale, chunky belly. I took a few self take photos, released her and immediately put the kettle on for a well earned celebratory cup of tea.



I figured that with all the commotion, the swim would probably die so I topped it up with a few more baits and returned to the night swim ready to get going. The swans were a pain and very tame, sometimes feeding within a metre from where I was fishing. A gentle prod with the landing net pole moved them on, but not for long and they were soon back making a pest of themselves again.

With both rods now fishing, one in each margin, I sat back and recounted my previous capture only to be disturbed by a bream hanging itself on the right hand rod. This was swiftly unhooked in the margin with a gentle word before I released it asking him to tell his friends to leave me alone. Single bleeps every 5 minutes from the Optonics signalled the warning fell upon deaf ears.

Another cup of tea was made, mostly to warm my hands, a low cloud now filled the sky and the temperature was dropping somewhat, and as I was due to sleep in the chair with just a 40 inch brolly to shelter, I really hoped it wouldn't get too cold, or rain. I did have Steve's Thermal bed cover with me so I still had that as a back up if things got too chilly, and then there was the car with its heater as a last resort.



The next fish came at 7:30pm on the right hand rod again. As I lifted the rod it was almost ripped from my grip. I was confident this was another carp, but when an emulsion brush tail slapped the surface I was surprised to realise that it was actually a heffing great tench. It was big, very big, certainly much bigger than my PB of 5lb 4oz. Although, I didn't have any scales with me so can't go claiming any numbers. I took a snap of it in the grass with the rod and Mitchell 300 by its side, you can make your own assumptions as to how big you think it was.



I released the impressive specimen to the water and kind of hoped I had some scales with me. I really must get those Avons I've been promising myself for a while, just for moments like this. Another, smaller tench came an hour later to the same rod, just as the sky began to darken slightly. The wind dropped and with it went the chilliness. It felt as though I could be in for a fairly mild time of it.

In the half light I could see, and hear, rudd splashing. A deer walk past, speeding up as it neared the swim and then slowing back to a walk. In the tree above me was a jay and a noisy wood pigeon slapping its wings together as they do quite often. Robins and a blackbird sang as the swans surrendered for the night. The goats that live on the old fort were still grazing and continued into darkness. A pike thrashed and I realised I was surrounded by so many of my favourite things, It was good to be back.

At 8:50, whilst sipping on another hot, sweet tea, I witnessed my first bats of the year, a very welcome sight it was too. I could hear them clicking as they flew over head. Ducks drifted about like noisy paper boats, a rodent rustled and a mosquito bite was one familiar feeling I didn't enjoy.

At 10:20 I caught another bream, a much larger one with white lumps all over it, it was quite ugly. With the rod back out I began to make a tea to warm the fingers, only to find two slugs in my tea spoon and one in my cup – Great! It was whilst enjoying that soul-warming brew with a handful of chocolate chip cookies that I had started to hear some quite peculiar sounds. The kind of sounds you associate with fishing alone, at night. I think these sounds were amplified by my having no shelter too.

The place is safe enough, to enter you have to get past armed guards so no worries there, but it still has that feeling that you're not alone, with frequent glances towards the top of the steps, just in case. At one point I thought I heard what sounded like a very drunk badger coming at me looking for a fight; it got close, but not close enough to see it, then it stopped.

At 10:50 I landed another tench of similar size to the last one, around 3lbs. Once the rod was fishing again it was time to don the Thermal cover, more more as an attempt to curb any more bites appearing on my ankles than to keep me warm. I was woken by more tench at just after 11 and at 1:15am, not that I was actually sleeping much, I had already vowed never again to have such a hair-brained idea as to sleep in a chair all night. It was probably the most uncomfortable night I've ever had to endure. Whilst I was up after returning the last tench I treated myself to a pork pie, a wee and a tea, settled back into my throne and did my best to drift back to sleep. It was deathly quiet.

At 3am, my left hand rod received a take, I struck into what felt like a tench with lots of violent head shaking but the rod sprang back as the hook slipped. Before casting I wound ion the other rod and went round to the stalking swim with some bait and topped up the spots in preparation for the morning. After re-casting I didn't quite feel so tired so I sat a while, made some tea, finished the cookies and watched the bats, all the while wondering why I'd not heard any bats. By 3;30 the birds began to sing and I contemplated what time dawn might break.

The plan was to pack up base camp and position myself back in the stalking swim for the day. Could I make it there before the swans was the question. A question that was answered twenty minutes later when in the distance, out of the twilight appeared what looked at first like a ghostly vessel getting closer and closer. As I watched , I noticed it stop to feed on two separate spots before reaching mine, and I remember it stopping at the same places last evening too.

Perhaps they were spots that other anglers had baited, maybe they were just areas rich with natural food, but one thing is for sure, we can learn a lot of we watch what is going on around us. I made a mental note of these other spots for a later date. I sat watching the world awaking whilst slapping my face every 30 seconds or so as another mosquito buzzed past, it's a wonder I didn't come through the night punch drunk.

It was now just past 4am, a time I find wherever I fish it seems to be the quiet time, nothing bites and nothing stirs. Oh, and one more thing about the swans before I forget, I don't honestly think for one minute that its a bad thing them feeding on spots we're baited, quite the opposite in fact, especially if it's smallish particles you've baited with. I actually think they do us a favour, disturbing the bottom and burying some of the food which, in turn, will make the fish root around the area longer. Just a thought.

At 4:20 another tench was hooked on my right hand rod, but with the head shakes the hook slipped out once more, which was actually quite a relief by now, it meant that I could wind in, inspect the bait and hook point and recast without getting up or removing the thermal cover. It was still decidedly chilly you know!



I drifted off to sleep at some stage and was woken abruptly by the piercing shriek of a nearby heron. I looked up and spotted the goats coming down for their morning drink and I realised that I'd missed sunrise. The time was 5:20am. By 5:45 I was packed away and in the stalking swim fishing by 6am.

At 6:15 I watched the line from my rod tip tighten, I lifted the rod and hung on as an angry carp charged off into open water. Thankfully I managed to keep this one away from any snags and kept it on a tight line in front of me charging up and down and under the rod tip. With a couple of close calls to my right I was soon able to steer it over the awaiting net and carp number two, another portly mirror was posing for the camera. The morning was slightly overcast with patches of blue and a light breeze. It was a wonderful start to a wonderful day.



It was then I met Dickie, another member of the club who had arrived for a work party. We chatted a while and got along very well, it was a pleasure to meet him. As he left to join his crew I contemplated whether to stay, or whether to go. I was very tired, I';d caught two carp and some cracking tench, and besides, I even had time for a quick stop at Carron Row on the way back....so the choice was made and I retuned to the car.

When I pulled into the car park at Carron Row just after 9am I saw so many cars, I almost never got out, but curiosity got the better of me and I just had to have a look. First I bumped into Roy and Derek and had a quick chat, then Terry and we have a brief natter. I strolled up to ponds three and four as two was rammed apart from one, unfavourable swim, but after feeding mixers to a couple of fish I found, it was apparent that they weren't in the slightest hungry.

On the way back to the car I decided to have a quick peek in the one available swim on pond two. The swim itself isn't much good, but the margin it shares with the swim to the left is. As the fella in the Disabled swim was fishing straight out and to the reeds, my fishing the right hand margin was of no consequence to him. So a handful of mixers were deposited close to the marginal foliage and I set about setting up a Mark IV and a Delmatic with 8ln line, straight though to a size 6 hook.

I didn't see anything take the mixers, but I did spot a back, and quite a big back too. After working out which end was the tail and which the head, I gently lowered my size six hook baited with two mixers into position and within seconds they disappeared down the throat of the carp and the battle commenced. And what a battle.

I never felt in control at any point of the battle, not until it was safely in the mesh. The fish seemed to be on steroids, perhaps it has eaten a load of spinach, but whatever was the cause, that fish had immense power surging off on long run after long run with me holding on for dear life. It was a very impressive fish, a common which looked all of twenty pounds. Terry helped with the photos and did an excellent job. But it wasn't until later, when looking closely at the photos that I realised which fish it was.



It was the first twenty I ever caught from Carron Row Farm, in 2007 and back then it weighed 22lb 10oz, so about right. It was fabulous to meet up with the old girl again, and great to know she is still the powerhouse she was back then. It was a little before 11am when I loaded the car and headed home....with one almighty smile on my face.